at the time, to take up his abode at Bath. It might be fatiguing to the reader, although not without its use to the reflecting mind, were I able at this distance of time, to retrace and enumerate the long train of circumstances, some of them apparently the most trivial, but mutually acting and re-acting upon each other, which took place during this negociation; and which were every one of them, even the smallest, essential to its success. At length, every thing was prepared for the intended change; and the high character we had heard of this gentleman, was so fully attested, that Mr. Cappe acceded to his being engaged, without its being necessary to recite to himself in detail, all those very distressing circumstances, which had rendered the change absolutely necessary. Mr. Wellbeloved came to us on the 3rd of February, 1792, and we soon discovered what a treasure we had obtained. He was regarded by my husband with an affection truly parental; and became every thing to him by his humility, his disinterestedness, his varied talents, his desire of knowledge, especially of religious knowledge, his freedom from prejudice, and his unaffected piety. This, my dear," would he often say to me, "is the very young man I wanted, he will be eminent in his dayhow am I now surrounded with blessings!"

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In the course of the following summer, Mr. Cappe so far recovered his strength, as to walk without assistance, and to articulate with sufficient ease to have again some enjoyment in conversation. We made several visits in the coun

try, and in particular, one to his most intimate friend, the late Mr. Lee of Staindrop, formerly attorney-general; who was still in full possession of his extraordinary colloquial powers, although then in a very declining state of health. These visits did not greatly interfere with our accustomed occupation of transcribing, which seldom suffered a day's interruption; and after our return home, it was persevered in with unremitting assiduity. Mr. C. was now again able to occupy himself in reading, and sometimes in original composition, but I was extremely anxious whenever it could be done, to prevent his making this exertion.

CHAPTER 33.

Alarming state of health of Mr. Cappe's youngest son....Of his youngest daughter....Their father's second seizure... Distressing symptoms....Their gradual abatement.... Former occupations in part renewed....Sermons on Providence published....A medal adjudged to Mr. Cappe's youngest son....Consolation from Mrs. Lindsey's correspondence.

..Account of Dr. Priestley's situation in America.... Death of Maria Logan....Dr. Robert Cappe graduates at Edinburgh....Comes to fix in York.

THE year 1793 opened under circumstances of extreme anxiety from other sources. Our youngest son, destined for the study of medicine, was in London, attending the hospitals. His health had

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always been delicate, and the accounts of him were now so alarming, as to excite the greatest apprehensions. I wrote to Dr. Aikin, earnestly requesting not only his advice, but that he would take whatever other steps respecting him might be thought necessary; and it pleased a kind Providence, that by being removed into country lodgings, taking proper medicines, and abstaining some weeks from his studies, he was at that time happily restored. Nor had we less cause of alarm on account of our youngest daughter, whose health seemed rapidly declining, and who was taken so ill on the 2nd of April, as to appear without hope of recovery. As medical assistance was immediately necessary, it was impossible that her danger could be concealed from her father, on whose account, any misfortune that threatened any of the young people, was felt by me with redoubled keenness. This was the crisis of her disease, she recovered gradually, although she continued through the summer, in a state of great feebleness and debility.

But these were merely the preludes to a still deeper sorrow. For on the fifth of that afflicting month, my dear Mr. Cappe had a second paralytic seizure, which in some respects, was even more distressing than the former. The extreme irritability of his stomach was indeed removed, but his head was much more affected. "How confused," he said to me," are now my ideas which were wont to be clear as rock-water." With what poignancy did I feel this farther deprivation. Surely, I thought, if there be in the

quiver of adversity, an arrow more keen than its fellows, it is that which is commissioned to lay low, intellectual powers like his! But perhaps, this was estimating the calamity beyond the truth. I ought to have been more thankful, and eventually I had the comfort of becoming so, that he was mercifully permitted to continue placid and resigned, that he had still the ability to be consoled and delighted by rehearsing many fine devotional compositions, prose and poetical, tending to increase and invigorate an humble trust and confidence in the Author and Dispenser of these powers. By means such as these, the tedious hours of confinement to his bed were rendered less oppressive. After he began to recover however, and had left his room, we suffered a new and more afflictive distress: for some weeks he was wholly unconscious where he was-whether in his own house, or in a lodging. Often did he conjure me to tell him the whole truth, and not to deceive him in my replies. Alas! no one who has not trod the same desolate path, with a highly honoured and beloved friend, can form an adequate idea of the anguish occasioned by these heart-rending interrogatories.

Often did I ask myself how I should sustain the sorrow, if this same perplexity and confusion of ideas were to become permanent, but it pleased the good providence of God, that I should not be so tried; for in proportion as Mr. C. gained strength, and especially, after we removed into country lodgings, and he could have the benefit of fresh air, by being drawn about in a garden

chair, these perplexities gradually subsided, and they were never afterwards adverted to, by either of us, except once, about three months afterwards. "Tell me, my dear," he said, "when I had my last seizure, was I really in my own house, or in lodgings?"" You were indeed in your own house the whole time."-"That is enough," he replied; "I am sure you would not deceive me, and now I am perfectly satisfied."

About the month of June, Mr. Cappe was so far recovered, that we were enabled to resume our former occupation of transcribing; but his articulation was so imperfect, that I was frequently obliged to guess some of the words, by the relation in which they stood with the context. The Dissertations however being regularly paged, we got through them with little comparative difficulty; but when we began with the Sermons, which were not paged, and were often interlined, the arrangement of a whole paragraph, as well as the supply of a particular word, would sometimes devolve upon the transcriber. We had also another difficulty. From among many hundred Sermons, it was my earnest wish to select those which were the most striking; but it was quite impracticable to request the author himself to arrange and look them over for that purpose. I was obliged therefore, to confine my choice to such as I had heard him preach, and to depend upon their character for comparative excellence, upon the judgment I had then formed of them, in the analysis I had endeavoured to make. How little did I at that time imagine